Chapter 289: 289. Award a glass of nourishing and whitening milk
The sudden response from Emperor Qiao Zhi left the Di Faction as if struck by lightning, each member dumbfounded.
On the other side, Qiao Sen’s faction was ecstatic, as if a father discovered his daughter is not biologically his.
“The Emperor is wise!”
Other ministers supporting Qiao Sen hurriedly knelt down to cement the matter.
As they knelt, those ministers who initially remained neutral instinctively followed suit, immediately causing a quarter of the officials in the Qianxin Palace to kneel.
Only the officials from the Di Faction remained stunned, seemingly unable to accept this reality.
“Do you dare to defy the Emperor’s decree?”
The first minister who persuaded the Emperor to issue the decree jumped up again, angrily reprimanding the Di Faction group.
Under the rebuke, this group finally came to their senses, realizing the Emperor was still watching, each with a frantic expression, quickly kneeling and shouting “The Emperor is wise.”
In an instant, all officials in the hall were kneeling; these people were originally spineless and best at siding with whoever had power, betraying without any psychological burden.
To form cliques and abuse power, Di Ao had disposed of most principled officials; now, he was finally subjected to betrayal by this opportunistic group.
Since all ministers present had expressed their stance, the matter of the Crown Prince Regent was settled, and on the surface, no one could oppose.
Di Ao’s face turned pale as she coldly stared at everyone present, with the officials of the Di Faction each lowering their heads, not daring to meet her gaze.
Qiao Sen was completely bewildered, unsure of what was happening.
Wasn’t she just in an absolute disadvantage? How did she suddenly turn the tables, gaining the upper hand?
Not just her, even Yu Qing’s group struggled to understand the bizarre development, feeling like riding the Spirit Sword alone for the first time.
Descending abruptly to the valley, then soaring suddenly to the summit.
Qiao Sen turned to the equally bewildered Emperor, instinctively wanting to speak, but Yu Qing held her shoulder.
She quickly regained her composure, although unclear why the Emperor responded to the ministers’ proposal, the Emperor was still in a state of impaired mental faculties.
Continuing to dispute this point would provide an opportunity for the Di Faction to counterattack.
What mattered most now was to confirm the Crown Prince Regent matter.
Qiao Sen reacted swiftly and immediately knelt before Emperor Qiao Zhi, loudly declaring, “Daughter will not fail the Empress’s trust.”
At this point, except for the three outsiders including Yu Qing, only Di Ao remained standing, conspicuously.
At this moment, unless Di Ao decided to overturn the game completely, there was no way back.
After looking deeply at Qiao Sen, she also knelt down; since the Imperial daughter had knelt, how could she, the adopted daughter, continue to stand?
Thus, today marked another victory for Qiao Sen against Di Ao, and a big one at that.
Zhu Zhongguan sensibly urged the ministers to leave, citing the Emperor’s need for rest.
The ministers began to exit, leaving the Qianxin Palace, and the news that the Crown Prince would act as Regent quickly spread to the waiting civil and military officials outside, causing an uproar.
The officials outside were unaware of the specifics within the Qianxin Palace, only knowing that the critically ill Emperor was rescued by the Immortal Elixir that Qiao Sen sought, and upon recovering, issued a decree appointing her as Regent.
In everyone’s mind, they contemplated whether this signaled the imminent downfall of the Di Faction.
Not only officials from other factions, but even the Di Faction itself felt a pervasive sense of panic, as if catastrophe might strike at any moment.
Today, Qiao Sen and Di Ao had clashed three times; the first, where Di Ao accused Qiao Sen of sneaking out of the capital, was dissolved by Qiao Sen with the reason for seeking medicine.
The second was a failed attempt to frame Qiao Sen with poison, exposed at the crucial moment, losing a physician Chen in the process.
The third was Qiao Sen’s unexpected betrayal of Di Ao, and although Qiao Sen herself was bewildered, the minister who jumped out to betray was a staunch supporter of hers, leading everyone to believe she orchestrated it.
Two minor victories and one major win instantly elevated Qiao Sen’s image, thoroughly overshadowing Di Ao.
Many officials couldn’t help but admire how in dire situations, one could still rely on intelligence and wit to turn the tide. Is this the hallmark of the illustrious Qiao Family line?
In contrast to Di Ao, who wielded absolute power but ended up defeated, lacking any semblance of imperial majesty.
Di Ao left the Imperial Palace expressionlessly, accompanied only by a few trusted followers, which in others’ eyes seemed like a defeated dog fleeing in haste.
Qiao Sen, on the other hand, was filled with joy, surrounded by ministers discussing regency matters.
With the regency title, Qiao Sen and her aides in the Eastern Palace would no longer be mere figures; they could officially engage in politics, reclaiming most of the power from Di Ao.
Of course, this was only titular; whether they could truly seize power depended on Qiao Sen’s skill, lest she be sidelined by Di Ao.
The Qianxin Palace soon fell quiet again, Yu Qing intentionally remained the last to leave, and just before stepping out, she suddenly turned back, looking at the empty hall, softly speaking, “Fang Zhou, is it you?”
Fang Zhou was actually preparing to leave right behind Yu Qing, startled by the sudden turn and words, fearing he and Liu Wa had been discovered.
But seeing Yu Qing’s gaze not on himself, Fang Zhou breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she was shooting blindly.
Yu Qing spoke softly again, “You must have delivered the note that warned us last night too.”
Fang Zhou silently nodded with his hands crossed.
She actually guessed right; upon return, I’ll have to gift you a cup of beauty-enhancing milk.
Yu Qing continued, “After you disappeared, I knew you and General Zhao would arrive at the capital ahead to prepare.”
She hadn’t actually spotted Fang Zhou but simply voiced her speculation.
The night before, when stating to Xuan Ling and Gou Cheng she wouldn’t return to the Heavenly Sword Sect, Yu Qing’s confidence stemmed from trusting that Fang Zhou would secretly aid them.
Today, when the official suddenly betrayed Di Ao, it further validated Yu Qing’s assumptions; given Qiao Sen’s capabilities, arranging this in advance would be impossible.
After speaking, Yu Qing gazed at the silent hall, receiving no response.
“Oh well, you continue hiding if you like; with you around, I’m at ease.”
She chuckled lightly, turning to leave.
Fang Zhou watched Yu Qing’s departing figure, not feeling joy; instead, his heart pounded intensely.
“Does she know we’re here?”
Liu Wa asked softly in Fang Zhou’s ear.
Fang Zhou shook his head, “Probably not, but she definitely can guess.”
Fang Zhou’s habit of staying hidden was something Yu Qing knew best; her guessing wasn’t surprising.
It’s just that Fang Zhou didn’t expect Yu Qing to figure it out so quickly.
Yu Qing was originally very smart, looking a bit naive at the Heavenly Sword Sect due to little experience.
Having left the Heavenly Sword Sect, she’s grown and changed immensely in a short time, reminiscent of the saying that after parting for three days, one should view the other with new eyes.
Marrying an overly clever woman might not be wise; any small thoughts are instantly seen through, making it easy to be thoroughly bested.